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Governance and Civil Society in Timor-Leste The people of Timor-Leste have overcome signifi- cant challenges in the realization of their nation- hood and in the development of democratic institutions. The free and fair national elections conducted in 2007 by the country’s national electoral institutions (the National Electoral Commission - CNE and the Technical Secretariat for Election Administration - STAE) are notable examples of such successes. In October 2009 the people of Timor-Leste will again go to the ballot box to elect their suco or sub-district representatives. Through the provi- sion of technical and material support, The Asia Foundation and USAID are working with the people of Timor-Leste to ensure these elections are conducted in a free and fair manner and that elected position holders are given the necessary training and support to fulfill the demands of their offices. PROMOTING CREDIBLE, PEACEFUL, AND FAIR ELECTIONS The success of the upcoming local elections hinges on a sound election law and voter aware- ness of rights and responsibilities. Through the Support to Local Governance, Elections, and Civil Society (GEC) project, USAID and The Asia Foundation are working to improve the elec- toral legal framework through public consultation. They are supporting voter education through direct contact with a coalition of civil society net- works, and will support the training and fielding of volunteers to observe the elections at suco, municipal, and national levels during the cam- paign periods, on election day, and during the vote counting processes. SUPPORT TO NEWLY ELECTED SUCO COUNCILS Currently, suco councils are poorly equipped to undertake their assigned responsibilities. Deficiencies in physical, financial, and human resources have the potential to strain effective governance. A high level of diversity – both lin- guistic (with 19 spoken languages in a country of one million) and cultural – further complicates the administration of sub-district councils. The GEC project will strengthen the capacity of 148 sucos in the four municipalities of Oecusse, Bobonaro, Ainaro, and Baucau over a three-year period. It will also strengthen citizen participation in village and municipal governance. The project will provide newly elected council members with training in how to effectively carry out their duties and best interact with new municipal governments. It will introduce council members to measurable performance indicators in an effort to demonstrate how their work can be evaluated and improved year by year. The USAID-funded GEC project aims to ensure elections are conducted in a free and fair manner and that elected position holders are given the necessary training and support to fulfillthe demands of their offices. The Asia Foundation has been programming in Timor-Leste since 1992 and established an office in 2000. In Timor-Leste, The Asia Foundation is working to support credible, peaceful, and fair elections and to enhance the capacity of newly elected suco councils to strengthen citizen participation in village and municipal governance. TIMOR-LESTE photos by Conor Ashleigh
